{"product_id":"vintage-the-watergate-bug-1-ozt-999-fine-silver-art-bar","title":"Vintage - Colonial Mint \"The Watergate Bug\" - 1 Ozt .999 Fine Silver Art Bar","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA great combination of \u003cstrong\u003evintage silver, political history, and 1970s humor\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003eWatergate Bug\u003c\/strong\u003e is a classic one-ounce silver art bar produced by \u003cstrong\u003eColonial Mint\u003c\/strong\u003e during the height of the Watergate era.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design takes the term “bugging” literally. A large beetle dominates the face of the bar and is connected to a reel-to-reel recording device—a tongue-in-cheek reference to the surveillance, secret recordings, and political scandal that consumed Washington in the early 1970s. The bar is marked \u003cstrong\u003eONE OUNCE .999 FINE SILVER\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Colonial Mint\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColonial Mint was part of the flourishing American \u003cstrong\u003esilver art-bar industry of the 1970s\u003c\/strong\u003e, when private mints transformed one-ounce silver bars into miniature collectibles. Rather than producing only generic bullion, Colonial Mint issued topical designs inspired by American history, politics, and current events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWatergate was an especially fitting subject. The scandal dominated American news and ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. Colonial Mint captured that moment while it was still unfolding, making the Watergate Bug more than a modern historical commemorative—it is a \u003cstrong\u003eperiod piece produced during the actual Watergate era\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Watergate Bug is known among vintage art-bar collectors as \u003cstrong\u003eColonial Mint catalog number COL-12\u003c\/strong\u003e, with more than one design variety known to collectors. Today, surviving examples appeal to collectors of vintage bullion, political memorabilia, and unusual privately minted silver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaker:\u003c\/strong\u003e Colonial Mint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Watergate Bug\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYear:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1974\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog:\u003c\/strong\u003e COL-12\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 Troy Ounce\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePurity:\u003c\/strong\u003e .999 Fine Silver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vintage Silver Art Bar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheme:\u003c\/strong\u003e Watergate \/ American Political History\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vintage \/ Secondary Market\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVintage examples may show \u003cstrong\u003etoning, scratches, contact marks, spotting, or other signs of age and handling\u003c\/strong\u003e. These differences give each surviving bar its own character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is exactly what makes vintage art bars fun to collect: \u003cstrong\u003ean ounce of silver with a story attached to it\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Watergate Bug combines precious metal value with a distinctly 1970s design tied directly to one of the most consequential political scandals in American history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease Note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Photographs are of previous inventory items and will likely not be the item(s) you receive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStack Sensibly, Collect Creatively!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Upstate Coin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56068272816201,"sku":"WatergateBug1ozBar","price":74.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/0279\/4825\/files\/IMG_2426.jpg?v=1788904605","url":"https:\/\/stackers-paradise.com\/products\/vintage-the-watergate-bug-1-ozt-999-fine-silver-art-bar","provider":"Stackers Paradise","version":"1.0","type":"link"}